Jewish Community Relations Council

Who We Are

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Howard County (JCRC) cooperates and engages in programs and causes that advance Jewish communal values by partnering with community leaders, elected officials, and community organizations and coalitions.

The JCRC builds recognition and mutual understanding between the Jewish community and the broader civic and religious communities and ensures that Jewish communal values are visible in the public arena and in civic and political discourse.

The JCRC is a committee of the Jewish Federation of Howard County (JFHC). It is composed of one representative of every Jewish organization and synagogue in the county; those representatives are appointed to the JCRC by their respective organizations. JCRC members also include several At-Large Members appointed by JFHC’s President, and the chair is a member of JFHC’s Board of Directors.

What We Do

The JCRC advocates and promotes an array of issues – whether local, national, or international in nature, guided by Jewish values and precepts. The JCRC seeks to interact with various religious, ethnic, and cause-based organizations and coalitions to promote and advance mutual goals.

The JCRC also interacts with local Howard County elected and governmental officials; elected officials in the Maryland House of Delegates and Maryland Senate; Maryland’s Governor and administration; other state government officials; and Members of the US Congress, the Administration, and other federal officials.

Public Policy Issues

For complete details of the JCRC's public policy items, please click here.

The JCRC is greatly concerned about persistent anti-Semitism around the world and in our own nation, and feel that governmental leaders, clergy of all faiths, and civil society must confront and combat it. The JCRC supports efforts to monitor anti-Semitic incidents and develop appropriate strategies for engagement with affected communities, local and state governments, faith groups, law enforcement, the media, and civil society leaders and organizations.

The JCRC is committed to protecting and advancing the civil rights of all Americans. We strive to protect individuals discriminated against on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity. We support policies that address bullying and the efforts of national Jewish organizations that work to ensure that civil rights statutes such as the Hate Crimes Prevention Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act are implemented and enforced.

The JCRC will work with the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) to ensure it provides quality education to all its students. In addition, the JCRC has urged the HCPSS to respond resolutely to recent anti-Semitic harassment in the HCPSS and monitors these incidents and responses. At the request of the JCRC and the Howard County Board of Rabbis, the HCPSS is working to incorporate curricula from the ADL and the USHMM that are designed to prevent hate and bias.

The JCRC believes that climate change is a human-induced, international security threat and one of the greatest moral issues of our time. The JCRC endorses and supports continued advocacy for legislation in Howard County and at the state level to require clean, renewable energy and discourage continued dependence on fossil fuels that emit carbon dioxide and warm the Earth’s atmosphere.

Everyone in Howard County should have access to adequate health care. Part of that health care is the cost of prescription drugs, which continues to increase. The JCRC supports the Prescription Drug Affordability Initiative of the Maryland Citizens Health Initiative, which calls for establishing a board in Maryland to determine how best to make prescription drugs more affordable for Marylanders. The board would examine the drug supply chain and establish payment rates for expensive drugs.

The JCRC applauds the work of many Howard County organizations who are working to increase the availability of affordable housing for low-income populations. By consulting with the Association of Community Services in Howard County, Howard County Department of Services and Resources, and others, the JCRC will support policies and educate our members about local resources for affordable housing assistance.

The JCRC supports federal immigration policy that balances the protection of human rights with national security concerns. It supports reforming our nation’s immigration system to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and is in favor of effective border security that protects human rights, workers’ rights, and the right to seek asylum. The JCRC also supports the work of HIAS which provides, legal, physical and relocation assistance to refugees.

The JCRC supports and advocates for two independent, democratic, and economically viable states: a Jewish State of Israel and a Palestinian state, coexisting in peace and security. It believes that this vision can be achieved only through direct negotiations and that unilateral attempts to achieve Palestinian statehood through United Nations action — as well Palestinian efforts to achieve full membership in United Nations-affiliated bodies — are counterproductive.

By 2035 Howard County residents age 65 and older will comprise over 21% of the population. To accommodate these demographic changes, the JCRC supports efforts that enable local older adults to live safely and with dignity, no matter their income level. The JCRC supports the inclusion of Universal Design elements in housing options to enable residents to live independently for as long as possible. It also understands that reliable transportation is critical for members of the aging population.

Poverty and food insecurity are some of the most acute hardships many Americans, including children, face across the country – and Howard County residents are not immune to this hardship. The JCRC supports an increase in the minimum wage and policies that expand eligibility for the Earned Income and Child Tax Credits. The JCRC further supports important programs such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and related Maryland statewide programs.

After the murder of 11 Jews at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the Federation and the JCRC intensified work with the Howard County Police Department (HCPD) to safeguard religious institutions and community spaces. The JCRC partners with the HCPD and security experts to inform local synagogues, interfaith centers, and community meeting spaces about local services offered by HCPD, the Department of Homeland Security, and the State of Maryland that can limit vulnerability to attacks.

The JCRC supports policies that make the process of voting fair and more accessible, with strong support for the Voting Rights Act, early voting, and the scheduling of elections and caucuses on days that are not religiously-sensitive. The JCRC encourages efforts to urge Congress to pass the bipartisan Voting Rights Amendment Act and applauds the Maryland State Board of Elections’ efforts in Howard County to provide ample and convenient voting locations and early voting.